Week one: I visited a fabric shop about 2 blocks away from my hotel in Amritsar. The fabric shops stack the fabrics for Saris and Punjabi suits along the wall. On the floor are wooden stages covered in plush, white fabric. The owner sat on the stage and laid out an assortment of fabrics. Once I picked a fabric he took my measurements to tailor it to my body. Since I suffer from decidophobia, I spent 2 hours analyzing every single fabric. So duh, I bought two. Luckily I spent so many rupee's that the owner whipped us up a batch of the best chai tea I have had.. and these weird orange cream oreos that I pledge to never eat again. |
I took this picture while on my way to the bathroom from the seva in the Golden Temple. I found this furniture in the plaza of the building that provides free housing for those that pilgrimage to the temple and do not have money for a place to stay. What I'm wondering is why in the world the furniture is outside in the plaza and not in the rooms.. Also why is that little girl on the couch completely cool with this. Furniture being in a pile outside does not fall under my definition of normal. But hey
This is one of my favorite pictures because it encompasses a huge array of colors. I have gone to the temple every morning since I have been in Amritsar and have only seen one fabric worn twice (granted they were twin sisters). Indian and American women have completely different ways of "blending in." In America, we wear neutral colors. In India, they wear auburn, lime, aquamarine, the list goes on. In the center of the women is a crate of ash from the wood-burning stoves. To sterilize the drinking bowls used during langar, the women dry the bowls by rubbing them in ash. They are literally cleaning bowls by rubbing them in a material synonymous to dirt. I don't get it.
Most people bathe and wash their clothing in the man-made pools surrounding the Golden Temple. Here they are draping their clothing on pieces of furniture to dry.
Woman wearing a sari meditates while facing the Golden Temple. She totally didn't know I was taking this of her and if she did she would probably be very angry :) So why not post it to the public.
This is one of the first photographs I took while in India. It shows Queens Road, which is perpendicular to the alley our hotel is located on. Almost all of the streets look identical to this one: dirt roads, men on bicycles, rickshaws, garbage everywhere, stagnant water, American Advertisements, stray dogs, garage door store fronts, and beautiful textiles..etc. And once I saw a puppy.